Backlash

by Nicholas Fisk

The time is the middle of the twenty-first century; the place Argosy IV. Marooned on this alien planet, the three Clegg children are taken captive by hostile robot Doops, led by the cruel Princess Supa. Meanwhile, underground, Madrigal and Hansi are busy plotting...But what is their sinister secret?And who or what is 553?

121 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1988

About the author

(1923–2016), British author of more than forty books and television scripts and a master of science fiction for children. Fisk, whose real name is David Higginbottom, grew up during the Second World War and served in the Royal Air Force. His autobiography, Pig Ignorant (1992), covers the years 1939–1941 and details his life in Soho, a bohemian section of London, where he played jazz in the evenings until he was called to enlist. After the war Fisk worked as a musician, journalist, and publisher. He started writing in the 1960s, and his popularity was at its height in the 1970s and 1980s. His most impressive work, A Rag, a Bone, and a Hank of Hair (1982), is a thrilling futuristic novel set at the end of the 22ndcentury. The government is cloning new people and has manufactured a 1940s wartime family whose members are unaware that nothing they know is real. This moving story is a dark representation of the threat posed by technological advancement but is optimistic in its message about the triumph of the human spirit. Fisk's most enduring books include Grinny (1973), which features a technologized extraterrestrial threat in the form of a great- aunt who glows at night, and Trillions (1971), an eerie story about mysterious hard shiny objects that contain an alien intelligence. Monster Maker (1979) was made into a film.

Reviews

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicholas Fisk writes brilliantly weird sci-fi for children and this is no exception. I would say it's not my favourite of his - Trillions, for example, is better, but it would be a good book to recommend to a young sci-fi fan. The story centres on three siblings - two boys and a girl. It's an example of a sci-fi book where a girl gets a main role. Suitable for able Y2 children and up.

[Ilaria Tomasini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Abbastanza insignificante e i tre ragazzini protagonisti sono odiosi